Civil Society Urges CFPB to Advance Rule to Curb Data Broker Industry
The burgeoning data broker industry poses an ever-growing danger to people’s safety, financial security, and access to essential goods, services, and opportunities. It has become practically impossible for people on their own to prevent these harms as more personal and business activities become digitized. For example, sensitive data is collected from apps, websites, and products that are a source of support or critical information for disabled people, and workers may face consequences if they try to challenge how their employers handle their data.
To address these harms, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has issued a proposed rule regarding data broker practices that violate the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). On April 2, 2025, the Center for Democracy and Technology, Coworker, Deaf Equality, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, National Employment Law Project, New Disabled South, Open MIC, and Tzedek DC sent a letter to the CFPB expressing support for the proposed rulemaking and urging the agency to move toward a final rule. The proposed rule would clarify the types of data that are subject to the FCRA, prevent this data from being collected for credit reporting purposes but then used for marketing purposes, require more transparency from data brokers, and allow consumers to revoke consent for certain uses of their credit reports.
The CFPB’s work to prevent harms caused by data brokers is crucial. Advancing the proposed rule would be a significant step toward holding this industry accountable.
Read the full letter.
